10 hours ago
How to avoid the $138m mistake Aussie travellers keep making
Aussie travellers have forked out $138 million in avoidable international transaction fees over the last year, new research has revealed.
A report by ING found holiday-makers dedicated a hefty 20 per cent of their travel budgets to food and dining purchases – an average of $1,477 per traveller.
Of that, $82.28 in transaction could have been saved.
'Our new research shows Aussies are increasingly prioritising food and dining experiences when they travel,' ING's head of daily banking Dina Kotsopoulos said.
'We encourage Aussies to confirm with their banks what fees they might be subject to while on holiday, ahead of time, so they can fully enjoy their global foodadventures without unexpected costs.'
Ms Kotsopoulos encouraged those looking to travel internationally to plan ahead, check their bank's fees on overseas purchasing and consider their options to avoid incurring avoidable charges before they leave.
The research also found that more travellers are prioritising memorable culinary experiences when holidaying, with 88 per cent of respondents willing to cut back on other aspects of travel, such as shopping and activities, to make room for a good meal.
In March this year, Australia's number one cooking resource surveyed more than 2350 Australians from all cultural backgrounds on their food habits for their Taste the World report.
It found Millennials were the most domestically adventurous demographic, with 13 per cent of those aged between 29 and 44 expressing a willingness to travel to a different state or region within Australia to try a particular cuisine.
In the last year, a collective $12bn has been spent on overseas culinary experiences alone.
Japan remains the biggest hotspot for Aussie travellers, with a 60 per cent uptick in visitors compared to pre-Covid levels.
The Asian destination is closely followed by New Zealand, with Queenstown seeing a 14 per cent increase, and Bali with a 27 per cent hike since 2019.
India, China and South Korea are also rising in popularity, according to MasterCard's 2025 Travel Trends Report.
Consumers are increasingly investing more in experiences, naming travel and tourism, outdoor activities and dining as their top three priorities this year.
The top foodie destination was Turkey, with its median restaurant in Istanbul hosting tourists from 67 different countries.
This was closely followed by France and Switzerland, each hosting a median of 64 tourist countries each.
